Cartoning machine for vertical carton flats



March 19, 1968 E. BNANS CARTONING MACHINE FOR VERTICAL CARTON FLATS 6 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 14, 1965 KWSN @INNG/ m NNY M, /w/

March 19, 1968 E. L. BlvANs 3,373,665

` CARTONING MACHINE FOR VERTICAL CARTON FLATS Filed April 14, 1965 6 SheetsSheet 2 wm M.

6 om W a H W M M@ OU@ fou@ @do @do @no @me ou M s @V .m

March 19, 1968 E. L. BlvANs 3,373,665

CARTONING MACHINE FOR VERTICAL CARTON FLATS Filed April 14, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 March 19,- 1968 E. BIVANS 3,373,365

CARTONING MACHINE FOR VERTICAL CARTON PLATS Filed April 14, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

E. L. BIVANS Mrch 19, 196s CARTONING MACHINE FOR VERTICAL CARTON FLATS 6 Sheets-Sheet Filed April 14, 1965 March 19, 1968 E. BlvANs 3,373,665

CARTONING MACHINE FOR VERTICAL CARTON FLATS Filed April 14, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 IIIIIII ILLLLHIIIIHIII Z566? VMM/5 JNVENTOR.

BY l

ited States ABSTRACT F THE DHSCLOSURE The cartoning machine of this invention provides a conveyer moving at constant speed with a carton transfer device for transferring an open carton in upright position to the moving conveyer. The ilat cartons are stacked in a hopper in upright position. The cartons are opened in the course of transfer to the conveyer. The transfer device includes a vacuum cup holder for depositing the open carton on the conveyer while-the conveyer is moving. The vacuum cup holder for the carton is on an arm having a pivot which moves on a feed stroke in the same direction as the conveyer, and on a return stroke, it moves in the opposite direction. The vacuum cup holder also moves between a position at the hopper for carton ilats and a position at the main conveyer. One cam oscillates a radius arm about a xed pivot, and the other cam has a link motion for oscillating the vacuum cup holder arm about a pivot carried by the outer end of the radius arm.

In order to resist movement of the carton both vertically and crosswise of the conveyer while supporting the carton for movement with the conveyer, the invention provides an inclined slot extending lengthwise of the conveyer in position to receive and support the top cover flap during travel of the carton on the conveyer.

This .invention relates to a cartoning machine for vertical carton flats for storing in a magazine a vertical flat folded carton, the machine -being adapted to open the carton in the course of transferring it from the magazine to a conveyer and with improved means for holding the cartons upright and open while on the conveyer. Copending application S.N. 435,274, filed Feb. 25, 1965, by applicant for C-artoning Machine, discloses and claims a high-speed cartoning machine wherein the time required for transfer of a fiat carton from the hopper to the conveyer is reduced. This, however, is not applied to a vertical flat carton but instead to a horizontal carton. Nevertheless, this co-pending application discloses and claims broadly a feature which is disclosed herein, namely, the provision of a mechanical movement which drives the vacuum cup in the path of a loop. The pick-up serves to move the carton blank both laterally with respect to the hopper, and longitudinally with respect to the conveyer. The loop, in general, is somewhat of triangular form whereof one section, from the hopper to the conveyer, results from moving the pick-up lboth laterally with respect to the hopper and longitudinally with respect to the conveyer, and in the same direction as the conveyer moves. A subsequent section of the loop results from moving the pick-up in the reverse direction with respect to the conveyer whi-le the conveyer is moving. The third and subsequent section results from moving the pick-up laterally to its start point at the hopper. The vacuum is broken when the open carton is deposited on the conveyer, whereby the vacuum cup contracts suiiiciently so that it does not rub the carton on the return stroke of the vacuum cup. The drive for effecting the travel of the vacuum cup in a loop, as described, consists of two cams, one of which oscillates a radius arm about a fixed pivot, which in the case of the copending case is horizontal, whereas in the present application this pivot is vertical; the other arent O ice cam having a link motion for oscillating the vacuum cup holder, in which the vacuum cup is lengthwise adjustable, about a moving pivot carried by the outer end of the radius arm.

A further object of the invention is to support the open carton on the conveyer while resisting the thrust on the bottom of the open carton due to the action of the tucking devices for closing the bottom side aps and the Ibottom cover liap. This is accomplished by inclining the top cover flap to slide in an inclined slot. This slot means acts as a support for the top of the carton and also acts as an abutment to resist the action of the iiap closing means at the bottom of the carton.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hopper, or magazine, which will accommodate vertical at cartons of different sizes. This is accomplished by providing means for adjusting a rail which receives the slot at the bottom of the carton, together with means for adjusting the spacing of the sides of the hopper.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for feeding vertical carton tlats from a magazine to the conveyer. This is accomplished by providing a magazine having a vertical rail to receive the slot at the bottom of the cartons together with the arrangement of the magazine in inclined position with a pusher, or sliding weight acting on the rear of the stack of vertical cartons. Stop devices tare provided at the front of the magazine and the vacuum pick-up removes the vertical cartons, one at a time, against the action of such stops. If desired, a conventional jogger may be fixed to the magazine. The purpose of this jogger is not to feed the cartons, but simply to overcome the friction between the cartons and the magazine, or rail, the feeding of the cartons being due to the inclination of the magazine and the follower, or pusher.

For further details of the invention, reference may be made to the drawings wherein: v

FIG. 1 is a top planyiew of the carton closing machine showing the feed magazine disposed at an angle to the conveyer run.

FIG. 2 is a transverse section of the magazine taken on the line 2 2 of FIG. 1 and showing the adjustment means for the width -of the magazine.

FIG. 3 isa tranverse section of the magazine taken on the line 3 3 of FIG. l yand showing the independent adjustment for the carton rail.

v FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section through the magazine as taken on the line 4 4 of FIG. 2 and showing the inclined position of the magazine.

FIG. 5 is a transverse vertical section taken substantially online 5 5 of FIG. l and showing the main drive mechanism as related to the main conveyer, the pick-up mechanism, the discharge conveyer and the bottom top tuck apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a horizontal section taken on the broken line 6 6 of FIG. 5 Iand showing the related mechanism as associated with the feeding of the collapsed carton from the magazine to the conveyer.

FIG. 7 is a vertical section taken on the line 7 7 of FIG. 5 and showing the cam which actuates the H-frame to move the vacuum cup support post in a to and fro movement in line with the conveyer run.

FIG. 8 is a vertical section taken on the line 8 8 of FIG. 5 and showing the cam which actuates or pivots the vacuum cups in a direction normal to the conveyer run.

FIG. 9 is a vertical section taken on the line 9 9 of FIG. 5 and showing the cam and valve which breaks the vacuum to the pick-up cups after the carton has been set up between the `conveyer lugs.

FIG. 10 is a View taken substantially on the line 3 10-10 of FIG. 1 and showing the bottom tuck mechanism.

FIG. 11 is a view taken substantially on the line 11-11 of FIG. 1 and showing the top closure mechanism and the discharge conveyer.

FIGS. 12, 13', 14, 15, 16 are sections taken as indicated on FIG. 10 and show the various stages in closing the bottom of the cartons after they are deposited on the conveyer and prior to the lling vor loading station. It will be noted that the carton top is closed in exactly the same manner by a tuck mechanism that is flipped 180 from the position of the bottom tuck mechanism. Compare FIGS. 10 and 11. Parts are broken away in FIGS. 1416.

FIG. 17 is a vertical section taken on the line 17-17 of FIG. 1 and showing the means for raising and lowerin the conveyer chain and tuck mechanisms with respect to the conveyer platform to permit accommodation of boxes of various sizes.

FIG. 18 is a horizontal section taken on the line 18-18 of FIG. 17 and showing the drive means for theelevator unit.

FIG. 19 is a section taken on the lines 19-19 of FIGS. 1 and 5 and showing the means for adjusting the lug spacement between upper and lower chain run and also, the relation between the drive sprocket and the tuck (top) drive shaft.

FIG. 20 is a section taken on the line 20-20 of FIG. 1 and showing the idler sprockets and the mounting means at the return end of the conveyer.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the description will be arranged under various headings dealing with the following: the nature of the flat folded carton blank, the general operations performed on the carton blank, the carton blank storage, power drive, the transfer from hopper to the conveyer, the conveyer construction, the slot support for the top carton ilap while on the conveyer, the tucking .apparatus for the flaps at the top and bottom of the carton, and .adjustment -for cartons of various sizes.

Nature of the fiat folded carton blank As shown in FIGS. 2, 12 and 13, a typical flat folded carton blank 1 has bottom end flap 2 having an end tab and bottom side flaps 3 and 4. Carton 1 has top side llaps 6 4and 7, top cover panel 8 having an end tab 9. The carton dat when in hat condition, illustrated in FIG. 2, being in this state when it is stacked in the magazine 10, has a hinge axis at 21 and also a hinge axis at 22, where the side panels join the body of the carton. More particularly, the bottom side ap 3 has a slot 23 so that the flat carton in upright position will ride on the rail 13 which ts in the slot 23.

General operations .performed on the carton blank The general operations performed on the carton blanks include storage of such cartons in the magazine, or hopper 10, transfer of the same to the conveyer which has opposed fingers indicated at 205 in FIGS. 5 and 6, and extension 205e to support the trailing bottom of thel cart-on. Fingers 205 grasp the opposite sides of the carton while the side and end flaps at the opposite ends of the carton are outwardly projecting therefrom. This transfer from the hopper to the conveyer is elected at high speed while the conveyer is in continuous motion, as described later. The top of the carton is supported by a top panel support 125, indicated at FIG. 13; This support is inclined in order to support the top panel in inclined position. This is quite important as it is apparent that the support 125 has a horizontal component which resists erosswise` movement of the carton, as well as a vertical component which resists upward movement of the carton at the time that the bottom tuckers are in operation. In the course of being transferred from the hopper to the conveyer, the flat carton encounters an abutment 63 which causes it to hinge about itsY hinge axes 21 and 22, to shift the at carton into open position, to be engaged by the opposed ngers 205 on the conveyer 200. Thereafter, the first operation is to tuck in the bottom and side flaps 2-5. After the bottom tlaps have been tucked, the desired contents are loaded by hand, -or otherwise, into the open carton, for example, at a loading station indicated generally at 207 in FIG. l. Thereafter, the top flaps are tucked in and the filled and closed carton is ejected onto the belt 92 of the discharge conveyer 90. This belt operates at greater speed than the conveyer.

Carton blank storage The magazine assembly 10 is composed of two stationary side walls 11, 12 and the adjustable side wall 25 and adjustable support rail 13, which are adjustable by means of a hand crank 31 and the rotating screws 27 through sprocket 28 and chain arrangement 29 for wall 25, and by the rotation of the screw 16 and the sprocket and chain arrangement 18 and 19 for rail 13. As shown in FIGS. 1-4, there are two spaced shafts each indicated at 16, and each having a thread 17 for a nut 14 secured to the rail 13. A support sleeve 15 for the rail 13 slides on the shaft 16. This provides for independently adjusting the carton support rail 13 with respect to the side wall 25.

As shown in FIGS. l and 3, one of the shafts like 16 has -a square end 20 for a suitable handle like 31.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 vand 6, one side of the carton stack is supported by the side wall 25, mounted on a nut bracket 26 having threaded connection with a threaded shaft 27 .having a sprocket 28 to operate chain 29, as described above. A pair of shafts like 27 is shown in FIG. l and one of them, as appea-rs in FIG. 2, is operated by the handle 31. The chain 28 has a guard 32.

As shown in FIG. 6, the side wall 11 .o-f the magazine 'has aA converging alignment plate 33 to urge the carton blanks into alignment laterally. The magazine inclines downwardly to its outlet end at the side of the conveyer. The carton stack 38, FIG. 4, is urged downwardly against stops 37 at the outlet o-f the magazine, by a follower 34 in the for-m of U-shaped members 35 which straddle the rail 13. Members 35 have shoes indicated at 36.

Magazine 10 is augularly disposed with respect to both the horizontal and the longitudinal lines of the conveyer and is positioned adjacent the conveyer line. The carton blank 1 is picked up -by the vacuum cups 41 of the vacuum cup assembly 40, FIG. 6, and swung in to be embraced by the conveyer lugs 205 for travel through the top and bottom tucking stations and the loading station 207 of the packaging machine.

Power drive As shown in FIG, 5, motor 151 has a pulley 152 which has belt 153 to drive pulley 154 on the gear box 155. The output of this gear box includes vertical splined shaft 156 and horizontal shaft 157. The shaft 157 has a sprocke-t 158 which drives chain 159 which drives sprocket 160 on the cam shaft 54 which is journaled at its opposite ends in the sides of main frame 250. Splined shaft 156 has a splined sleeve 190, shown also in FIG. 19, which has sprocket 191 which d-rives chain 192 and sprocket 194 on shaft 195 which drives gearing 193 and shaft '81. As shown in FIG. 1l, shaft 81 drives eccentric 82 of the top side ap closing apparatus 80. As shown in FIG. 19, spline .sleeve has mounted thereon the sprockets 203:! and 20311 for the upper chain 201 and lower chain 202 of conveyor 200. The upper conveyer chain 201 and lower conveyer chain 202 are shown in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 5, cam shaft 54 drives a number of items as follows. The outboard left end of shaft 54 has sprocket 170 which drives chain 171 and sprocket 172 which -drives pulley 91y which drives belt 92 of the discharge conveyer 90, as further shown in FIGS. 1 and 11.

Referring again to FIG. 5, cam shaft 54 has thereon the cam 60, also shown in FIG. 7, and cam 53, as shown in FIG. 8, which drive .the mechanism for operating the vacuum cups 41 of the assembly 40 to transfer the at carton from the magazine 10 to the conveyer 200, as described later. Shaft 54 also drives sprocket 180 which drives chain 181 having the sprocket 182 on shaft 108 having thereon eccentric 107 and connecting link 106 pertaining to the bottom side flap tuck apparatus 102, shown also in FIG. 10. As shown in FIG. 10, the chain 171 which drives pulley 172, as shown in FIG. 5, and as indicated in do-tted line in FIG. 10, also drives sprocket 173 of the bottom ap tucker 70.

Cam 54 also has a valve actuating cam 165 having a -fo-llower 166 for operating valve 167 which controls the vacuum line 168e to a manifold 169 connected to a vacuum pump, as shown in FIG. 9, the latter serving vacuum lines 168. as shown also in FIG. 1, leading to the vacuum cups 41 which pick up the at carton and deposit it in open form on the conveyor.

Transfer from hopper t conveyer FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate the contro-l cams 60 and 53 for operating the vacuum cup carton pick-up assembly 40. Cam 60, keyed to shaft 54, engages cam follower roller 59 mounted on lever 57 pivotally mounted to the main frame 250 and held in engagement with the cam by spring S. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, as the lever 57 swings upon the urging of the cam 60, it transmits the motion through connecting link 56 to crank arm 55 mounted on the rotatable sleeve 61 of H-frame 44. Sleeve 61 swings on the vertical yaxis provided by the upright post 45, fixed to the main frame 250.

In FIG. 8, the cam 53 rotating Vwith the shaft 54 urges the pivoted lever arm 50 by means of the cam follower 52, having spring 51, to pivot in a manner similar to the lever 57 of FIG. 7. As the lever 50 swings, it operates the connecting rod 49 and moves the crank arm 48, pivotally mounted independently of the H-frame 44 upon lthe vertical post 45. Referring t-o FIG. 6, it is seen that the crank arm 48 is inter-connected to crank arm 46 by means of connecting link 47. Crank arm 46 is xedly mounted to the bottom of the traveling post or column 43, see FIG. 5. Column 43 is pivotally supported in the H-frame member 62. The rotatable sleeve 61 and the tubular H-fname member 62 .are both vertical and parallel and interconnected by the radius arm 66. The upper end of the column 43 mounts a multiplicity of vertically and longitudinally adjustable arms 42 at the ends of which are attached the vacuum cups 41.

Cam 60 controls movement of the vacuum cup device 41 in a direction lengthwise of the associated conveyer line of travel and cam 53 controls the late-ral movement of the vacuum cup device 41 transversely of the line of travel. The path of travel of pick-up 4'1 is somewhat triangular, as explained initially.

The pick-up 41 is shown in FIG. 6 in position to remove a vertical flat folded carton from the magazine, overcoming the action of stops 37 which hold back the remainder .of the carton stack until the vacuum cup 41 returns to pick up the next carton flat.

As shown in FIG. l, the abutment 63 is in the path of the right hand side of the flat carton in FIG. 2, namely in the path of the side panel, indicated at 64, which has the fold line or hinge axis 21. Abutment 63 is mounted on the outer carton guide rail 130 and is lengthwise adjustable, as indicated at 65. The action of abutment 63 is to hinge the flat carton to open position, about fold lines 21 and 22 of FIG. 2, whereby the vacuum cup 41 deposits the carton in open form between the opposed fingers 205 of the conveyer, each pair of lingers on the conveyer receiving an open carton.

The conveyer construction Some details of the conveyer construction including the two chains, namely the upper chain 201 and the lower chain 202, were included in the preceding description. The conveyer chains are driven by sprocket 191, see FIG. 6, which is mounted on the splined sleeve 190 of splined shaft 156. Sleeve 190 has bearings 196, 197 in bracket 198 forming part of elevator frame 210, FIG. 19. The sprocket 191 includes a sprocket member for each chain and these members are relatively rotatable by means of the bolts 231 and the arcuate slots 232, in order to adjust the separation of the lingers 205 to lit a given carton width. As shown in FIG. l, the opposite end of the chains pass around an idler sprocket indicated at 204. As shown in FIG. 19, the two sprockets are indicated at 203:1 and 203b and are supported in spaced relation by the spacers indicated at 230. As shown in FIG. 20, the idler sprockets are indicated at 20411 and 204b and they have a suitable support which is adjustable, as indicated at 209, on the elevator frame 210, described later. At each end of the conveyer there is arranged an elevator screw 211a, b, see FIGS. 17 and 18, and each such screw at its upper end has an elevator frame 210 which includes a rail 225 which supports the fingers 205 to thereby support the chain at one side of the conveyer and a similar rail 226 at the front of the machine to support the fingers 205 and thereby support the chains 201 and 202 at the front of the machine. Each screw like 211:1 at its lower end has a suitable guide bearing 212 in the main frame 250. l

Each screw 211a and b has a nut like 213, FIG. 17, rotatably carried -by the main frame 250. Each nut like 213 has a sprocket like 214. These sprockets 214 have a sprocket and chain drive 215, 216, 217, whereby operation of crank 21-8 serves to operate screws 211a and b, and raise or lower elevator frame 210. Each screw like 211a has an elevator sub-frame like 210a, FIG.,17, fixed to the inner end of its screw as indicated by set screw 219. Each sub-frame like 210a at its opposite ends has posts 220a and b which act as supports for their guide rails 134 and 130, the latter being in position to guide the side of the carton. The posts 220a and b are slidably mounted in the main frame 250 by means of bearings indicated at 223. Each guide rail, like 130 and 134, has rail adjustment arms, indicated at 224, to laterally adjust the position of these rails. The posts 220a and b are vertically adjustable by screws 227 in subframes 210a, and laterally adjustable by means of screw 221. As shown in FIG. 17, associated with the outer guide rails 130 and 134 for the carton are the inner guide rails 131 and 135 on the main frame 250 having also an outer restraining band 132, see

Slot support for top carton fap l As shown in FIGS. 1, 10 and 13, the slot support 125 for the top cover panel of the carton includes two plates 126 and 127, spaced apart slightly more than the thickness of the panel. As described above, the slot 125 is inclined so as to resist both upward thrust of the bottom tucker and lateral thrust crosswise of the conveyer. As shown in FIGS. l and 10, the upper plate 126 at its entrance end, where the conveyer fingers receive the carton from the pick-up 41, 4is outwardly inclined, as shown at 128, and provided with an abutment which is elevated above the side panels but in position to engage the top panel and direct it to the funnel provided by the inclined extension 128 and the lower plate 127. Abutment 129 has an adjustment slot 136 in the funnel member 128. As shown in FIG. 10, both of the plates 126 and 127 extend along the conveyer for a distance equal to the length of the bottom tucker 70.

As shown in FIG. 1, the left hand portion of the conveyer has a cover 118 and the right hand portion has a cover 119. The cover 11S is also shown in FIG. 19, and extends over the shaft 81. Cover 118 has suitable mounting bolts, or posts, indicated at 137, to support it on the bracket 198 which is mounted on the boom or elevator fame 210. The cover 119, as shown in FIG. 17, is supported by mounting bolts 122 and 123 on the boom, or elevator frame, 210. The mounting bolt 123 also supports the upper and lower plates 126 and 127, with a spacer 124 which separates these plates by an amount equal to the thickness of the cover ap of the carton.

T ucking apparatus As described above, the bottom tuck-ing apparatus 70, as shown in FIGS. and 10, includes drive sprocket 180 on drive shaft 54 and driven sprocket 182, also chain 171 which drives sprocket 173 on shaft 71 to operate eccentric 72. Connecting link 106 operates the crank arm S of the bottom lagging side ap tucking apparatus 102, having tuck finger 103 on pivot shaft 104 operated by crank arm 105. The leading bottom side flap is closed by a stationary finger 115. The bottom end flap is closed by a closure bar 116, having a suitable support 117, see FIG. 10 and FIGS. 14-16, and by the blade 78a having an anvil 79, and by blades 7'8b and 78C. The blades 78a, b and c have a blade carrier 74 having a pivot 73 and a guide rod 75 mounted in a slide bearing 76- having a pivot 77.

The top end ap closingV apparatus 80 is shown in FIGS. 11 and 19 and has :been described above as including shaft S1 and eccentric 92. This apparatus S0 rides up and down with the elevator 210 and its drive shaft 19S has suitable bearings 176 and 177 in the elevator bracket 198. Eccentric 82 has a pivot 83 for a blade carrier 84 for the blades 88a, b and c. The blade carrier 84 has a guide rod 85 for a slide bearing 86 having a pivot 87. Blade 88a has a folding blade, or anvil, similar to that shown at 79 in FIG. 14, as well as a closure bar 120, having a support 121 similar to the closure bar 116 for the bottom end flap. The lagging side ap is closed by a tuck finger 111 similar to 103, described above, and including pivot 112, crank arm 113, connecting link 114 for the blade carrier 84. The leading top side ap is closed by a stationary finger similar to 115 in FIG. l0. The bottom tuck apparatus 70 and 102 is thus similar to the top tuck apparatus including the end flap closing apparatus 80 and the side flap closing apparatus 110, the principal difference being that the top tuck apparatus rides up and down with the elevator as the crank 2118 is operated, see FIG. 18, whereas thebottom tuck apparatus is carried by the main frame.

Adjustment for cartons of various sizes The principal adjustments include the following: adjustment of the magazineV 10 to accommodate cartons of different sizes by operating shafts 16 and 27, as described in connection with FIGS. 1-3; adjustment of the yd-rive sprocket 191 for the conveyer chains 201 and 202 to vary the separation of the chain lugs, or fingers 205 to accommodate boxes of Idifferent widths, as described in connection with FIG. 6; and operating the crank 218 to raise or lower the conveyer and the Aoarton guide rails, or supports 130 and 134, as described in connection with FIGS. 5 and 17-20. Various other adjustments, for the purpose stated, have also been described.

I claim:

1. A cartoning machine comprising a magazine for storing a stack of flat folded cartons in upright position, a conveyer, means for driving said conveyer in a certain direction, transfer means for receiving from said magazine upright cartons, one at a time, the cartons each having flaps extending upwardly from the top of the carton and having other aps extending downwardly from the bottom of the carton, said transfer means effecting a transferV of the cartons in said upright position, one at a time, to said conveyer, and means in the path of the upright cartons from said magazine to said conveyer for opening the cartons in the course of said transfer, said transfer means moving in the same direction as said conveyer for delivering open cartons in said upright position to said conveyer while said conveyer is driven by said driving means.

2. A cartoning machine comprising a magazine for supporting flat folded cartons in upright position, each carton having flaps extending upwardly from the top of the carton and other flaps extending downwardly from the bottom of the carton, a travelling conveyer, a pick-up device for receiving upright flat cartons and for transferring the same in upright position from said magazine to said conveyer while said conveyer is travelling, means in the path of said at carton for opening the same before being deposited on said conveyer, a mechanical movement means for driving said pickup in the path of a loop, said mechanical movement being operative to move said pick-up both laterally with respect to the magazine and longitudinally with and in the same, or opposite, direction as the travel of said conveyer, a vacuum breaker for breaking the vacuum on said pick-up, said mechanical movement being operative to retract said pick-up in 'the reverse direction to that of the conveyer while the conveyer is moving, said mechanical movement comprising a radius arm having a stationary pivot, a cam for oscillating said radius arm, said pick-up having a holder having a pivotal support on said radius arm, another cam for oscillating said holder about its said pivotal support, and means for operating said cams and said conveyer in timed relation.

3. A cartoning machine comprising a hopper for flat upright folded cartons, a conveyer, a vacuum pick-up device for transferring an upright carton from said hopper to said conveyer in upright position, means in the path of said Hat upright carton for opening the same before being deposited upright on said conveyor, 1a mechanical movement means for driving said pick-up, said mechanical movement means comprising means for moving said pick-up with said open upright carton both laterally with respect to the hopper and longitudinaly with and in the same, or opposite, direction as the travel of said conveyer while the conveyer is moving.

4. A cartoning machine according to claim 3 including a drive for said mechanical movement means, and means for operating said drive and said conveyer in timed relation.

5. A cartoning machine comprising a hopper for upright flat folded cartons, a travelling conveyer, a pickup device for accepting a carton in upright flat condition from said hopper and for delivering the carton in open upright form to said travelling conveyer, means in the path of said flat upright carton for opening the same before being deposited in open upright form on said conveyer, a radius arm having said pick-up device at an outer end portion thereof and having an inner end having a pivotal support, means for operating said radius arm between positions at said hopper and at said travelling conveyer, means for moving said pivotal support in the same direction as said conveyer for depositing the open upright carton on said conveyer while said conveyer is travelling, said moving means operating said pivotal support in a direction opposite the travel of said conveyer to return said pick-up device to said hopper to pick up the next at carton.

- 6. A cartoning machine comprising a hopper for vertical iiat folded cartons, a conveyer, a pick-up device for transferring a carton in upright position from said hopper to said conveyer, means in the path of said fiat carton for opening the same before being deposlted upright on said conveyer, a mechanical movement means for driving said pick-up in the path of a loop, said mechanical' movement being operative to move said pick-up both laterally with respect to the hopper and longitudinally With and in the same, or opposite, direction as the travel of said conveyer, a vacuum breaker for breaking the vacuum on said pick-up, said mechanical movement being operative to retract said pick-up in the reverse direction to that of the conveyer While the conveyer is moving, said mechanical movement comprising a radius arm having a xed vertical pivot, a cam for oscillating said radius arm, said pick-up having a holder having a pivotal support on said radius arm, another cam for oscillating said holder about its said pivotal support, and means for operating said cams and said conveyer in timed relation.

7. A cartoning machine for vertical carton flats, each having a top cover ap and bottom flaps, said machine comprising a magazine for feeding said Hats in vertical position, means for transferring the vertical carton flats in vertical position from said magazine to a conveyer, means for inclining a top panel cover ap on the carton, means providing an inclined slot in position to receive said inclined top panel, tucking means for the ybottom flaps, said slot means extending lengthwise of said conveyer and acting to support the top of said carton during operation of said tucking means.

8. A cartoning machine according to claim 7, said slot means extending substantially to the hinge axis of the top cover -ap with the body of the carton and resisting movement of the carton both vertically and cross- Wise of the conveyer While supporting the carton for movement with the conveyer.

9. A cartoning machine for a carton having a top cover flap, a conveyer for the carton, an inclined slot means extending lengthwise of the conveyer in position to receive and support the top cover ap during travel of the carton on said conveyer, and means for guiding the top cover ap into said slot means While the carton is travelling on said conveyer.

10. A car-toning machine according to claim 9, said slot means having an entrance end having a funnel, and said guiding means comprising means for guiding the top cover ap into said funnel.

11. A Cartooning machine according to claim 9, said slot means comprising spaced parallel plates.

1'2. A cartoning machine according to claim 9, said slot means being located closely adjacent to the hinge axis of the topv cover ap with the body of the carton and resisting movement of the carton both vertically and crosswise of the conveyer while supporting the carton for movement with the conveyer.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,258,893 7/1966 Jones 93-53 X BERNARD STICKNEY, Primary Examiner. 

